eopleeople PP ofof GodGod “Let your light shine before all people so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (Mt. 5:16) Winter 2016 The Pallottines LAITY, RELIGIOUS AND CLERGY LIVING THE VISION OF ST. VINCENT PALLOTTI Don’t Miss Your Call Saint Vincent Pallotti said that God calls all people to be apostles. The Pallottines The Pallottine Fathers and Brothers work to further St. Vincent’s charism through our ministries in parishes, schools, hospitals, retreat centers, adult education, foreign missions and liturgical celebration. For help in discerning your call, contact: Fr. Leon Martin, SAC 5424 W. Bluemound Rd. Milwaukee, WI 53208-3011 or call the Pallottine Vocation Office at: (414) 259-0688 ext. 155 St. Vincent Pallotti Retreat Center Elkhorn, Wisconsin Call us at 1-262-723-2108 or visit our website www.pallottines.org to learn more or to schedule 2 a retreat for yourself or your group. In This Issue: Editor’s Desk 3 The Editor’s Desk 4 Elisabetta Sanna Beatified on Dear Readers, September 17, 2016 8 Pallottine Mission in Peru As the winter of 2016 bears down is Thriving upon us, I see our world slowly de- 10 Pallottine Museum Opens scending into a deeper period of in Mysore, India darkness as the sun sets earlier and 12 Our Pastors Among the Faithful: rises later. It is especially at this Spreading the Light of the Gospel time of the year that I am reminded 14 Enchiladas: A Pot Luck Surprise of the importance and value of light in life. The Pallottines 15 A Special Christmas Gift You Can Give Your Loved Ones 15 Holiday Vigil Lights In St. Matthew’s Gospel (Mt. 5:16) we are encouraged to let our light shine for all to see. God has given each of us talents and abilities not to be hidden, but to be used for His People of God newsletter glory and the benefit of others. is published three times a year by the Mother of God Province, In this issue of our newsletter, we Pallottine Fathers and Brothers highlight some articles that focus on A 2016 the many “lights” that the Pallottines Articles, photos, suggestions are are shining and sharing with others always welcome. around the world. Photos herein are owned by the Pallottines or licensed Our founder, St. Vincent Pallotti, by subscription to Thinkstock, so often said, “We are ALL called to a division of Getty Images. be Apostles for Christ.” As apostles I hope that we will take full advan- Editorial offices located at: tage of the upcoming Thanksgiving The Pallottines and Christmas seasons to let our 5424 W. Bluemound Rd. personal “light” shine before all who Milwaukee, WI 53208 are a part of our lives. Fr. Joe Koyickal, SAC, editor. May your Christmas and New Year Visit our website at be filled with light, love and peace. www.pallottines.org for past & present issues Fr. Joe Koyickal 3 Elisabetta Sanna Porcu Beatified September 17, 2016 A remarkable woman, born in 1788 into a family of poor farmers who had strong Catholic values, Elisabetta Sanna Porcu suffered much during her lifetime. At three months of age she fell victim to small- pox, resulting in a disability that left her unable to raise her arms. So bad was her condition that she could only move her fingers and wrists. She couldn’t comb her hair, wash her face, make the sign of the cross, change her clothes or even bring food to her mouth. This life of suf- fering, along with her strong Catholic faith, helped her to love the poor and care for them. On September 13, 1807 she married Antonio Porcu and with him had seven children, the oldest and the youngest of which died shortly after their births. After seventeen years of happy marriage with her husband, Antonio died in 1825, leaving her with the difficult task of providing for and raising her remaining five children. But Elisabetta knew how to face challenges. Even though she re- mained illiterate for her entire life, she was taught the basics of cat- echism from her father’s cousin, Father Luigi Sanna, and together with her five children she educated other children of the town in catechism and prepared them for the reception of the sacraments. In 1829 she met Fr. Giuseppe Valle, who soon became her confessor and spiritual director. Influenced by a Lenten talk, she decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Fr. Valle, who could assist her with her many handicaps. Thinking that she would only be gone a short time she entrusted her children to the care of her mother and brother and en- listed further help from a niece and some neighbors. After settling things at home Elisabetta and her confessor set out on their pilgrimage, but soon had to abandon the trip due to the fact that Fr. Valle had no visa with which he could enter the Holy Land. Rethinking their plans, they decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome. While there, 4 (continued on page 6) Blessed Elisabetta Sanna Porcu April 23, 1788 - February 17, 1857 55 Elisabetta Sanna Porcu (continued from Page 4) Elisabetta became a professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order, devoting herself to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. She began visiting the sick and comforting them in their homes and in the Hospital for Incurables where she first met St. Vincent Pallotti who took her under his wing and became her spiritual director for 18 years. During this time in Rome, her physical ailments grew more serious Seeing how ill she was becoming, St. Vincent contacted her brother in Sardinia to inform him that she was unfit to travel by sea and that she would return home as soon as she felt better. Unfortunately for Elisa- betta, her ailments only worsened to the point that she was unable to go back home. Deeply saddened that she would no longer see her family and children, she entrusted herself to God’s providence. As a devote Catholic she frequently attended several Masses a day and Eucharistic Adoration devotions. She also took care of the altar linens and decora- tions of the Church of San Salvatore in Ondo. As she slowly accepted and adjusted to her deteriorating physical condition, she devoted more and more of her time to serving others, es- pecially the sick and the poor. To increase her ability to help them, she knitted items and with gifts given to her by other concerned individuals, she used this meager income to assist the poor and orphans in the two houses that St. Vincent Pallotti had established in Rome. She was often called upon by others for advice, including St. Vincent and many of the early Pallottines. Elisabetta witnessed the foundation of the Pallotti’s Union of Catholic Apostolate (UAC) which Pallotti said in 1839 “was in the Church as a Gospel trumpet to provide for the present and future needs of the world in the matter of religion.” He also added that the motivation required for joining the Union was to be the same for all people -- lay, clergy and religious -- the greater glory of God and the salvation of all. “It was felt to be right to form the Union which in view of the actual needs of the Church would have the scope to proclaim the multiplication of the spiri- tual and temporal means necessary to revive faith and re-enkindle char- ity among Catholics.” Elisabetta liked what she saw and heard about the UAC, and soon became an active member in the organization. 6 Pallotti often stressed the merits of Elisabetta with regard to the UAC. Fr. Vaccari, one of the early UAC members, had this to say about her: “Our institute has been carried forward up to now by two persons: a poor woman, Elisabetta Sanna, whom you have heard of many times from Fr. Vincent, and the other is Cardinal Lambruschi- ni.” When Pallotti died in 1850 she felt alone more than ever, but continued to place her complete trust in God, despite this great per- sonal loss. For 22 years she worked to develop the UAC and foster its ideal to revive faith and rekindle charity among Catholics. Elisabetta died in 1857 at the age of 68. She was buried in Rome in the Pallottine church of San Salvatore in Onda. She was well-known by many as having lived an exemplary and saintly life. Due to her known holiness, it was just four months after her death that the process for seeking her canonization was begun both in Rome and in her hometown of Sassari in Sardinia. This was an unusual turn of events since the road to canonization is most often a very compli- cated procedure which can take decades, if not centuries, to complete because of the many steps involved along the way. In April of 1880 she was declared a “Servant of God” by Pope Leo XIII, and 134 years later, Pope Francis bestowed on her the title of “Venerable” on January 27, 2014. The next step on the road to her canonization continued with the investigation of a miracle attributed to Elisabetta that occurred in 2008. A Brazilian girl who had contracted an ag- gressive arm tumor was suddenly cured of her ailment through the intercession of Elisabetta Sanna. On January 12, 2016 the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the miracle, and on January 21, 2016 Pope Francis gave his approval. Following the pope’s approval, Elisabetta Sanna Porcu was declared “Blessed” at her be- atification on September 17, 2016.